Page 34 of Awakening the Beast
“What the fuck are you doing in here, Viktor?”
I peer around the room, my sanity slipping as I see no one stepping up to explain why this bastard is here.
“Who the fuck allowed Viktor Orlov in here?” I bark.
The silence that follows is deafening, and my rage only intensifies. I turn my attention back to Viktor, raising an eyebrow as I fight to keep my composure. “I have nothing to fucking say to you; get the fuck out. You’re not an Elite.”
Viktor remains unfazed, leaning forward slightly as he replies, “You don’t consider me an Elite, Arlo? Your father did.”
My jaw clenches at the mention of my father, and I shoot a glance at Jasper, who looks as pissed as I am. Turning back to Viktor, I cock my head to the side, my tone cold. “If you hadn’t noticed, you old fuck, I’m not my father. I killed that cunt, if I remember correctly.”
I point to the spot where I ended my father’s miserable life without taking my eyes off Viktor. “Right there. I skinned that motherfucker alive before putting him out of his fucking misery.”
I stand slowly stand, placing my hands down firmly onto the table. “Unless you want the same fate, I suggest you get the fuck out of here. I don’t like you; I don’t like your family, and I fucking despise your line of work in this city.”
Viktor is defiant, raising his chin. “Someone has to do the trafficking, Arlo, seeing as you won’t.”
He’s right, unfortunately. In the underworld, trafficking is a part of the criminal network, a vile necessity for some, but that doesn’t mean I have to fucking like it. My history with his family only adds fuel to my hatred.
I straighten up, eyes locked on his, the room still dead silent.
“I don’t have to justify myself to you or anyone else in this room. I will never be on board with trafficking, there’s others for that, and if that’s what you’re here to discuss, you’re wasting your fucking time. Now, get out before I lose what little patience I have left.”
Viktor just sits there, staring blankly at me, and I can feel the blood rush to my head, my patience snapping.
“What the fuck do you want?” I yell bitterly.
He remains unnervingly calm. “In private,” he suggests, like we’re having a friendly fucking chat.
I straighten up, sliding my hands into my pockets as I shrug casually, the opposite to how I feel. “No, Viktor. You can say it in front of my fucking men. Spit. It. Out. Or fuck off.”
Viktor takes a moment, composing himself, his gaze shifting around the room before locking onto mine.
“Your father owed me.” I scoff, barely able to contain my urge to rip him apart. “The night you killed him,” Viktor continues, “I paid him a substantial amount of money for a jewel, and we agreed he would work with me to take over the system.”
My eyes narrow as the pieces fall into place and I know exactly what he's talking about. “She was, as he said, “priceless.” Yet because you killed him, I never received my jewel.”
My jaw clenches so hard I can feel the pressure in my skull, but I force myself to stay calm. I walk slowly around the table, my eyes never leaving Viktor, and the room watches my every move.
When I stop behind him, I lean down, placing one hand on the table in front of him, and whisper menacingly close to his ear.
“How about you fuck your jewel?”
He side-eyes me, his voice rising just enough to challenge me.
“You are next in line for this debt, Arlo!”
I snicker, straightening up as I glance around the room, taking in the faces of the Elies. It’s time to test their loyalty.
“Viktor here,” I say, addressing the room, “claims I owe him something. He thinks because my father promised him something, that debt falls to me.”
The room is still, eyes shifting between me and Viktor. I can see the uncertainty, the calculations running through their minds. They know what it means to side with me—or against me.
I glance down at Viktor, a mocking smirk playing on my lips. “And you still want your jewel, do you?”
“That’s right,” he responds.
I raise an eyebrow, pretending to consider his words. “Not just a simple repayment?” I shrug.
